 |
 |
Offthepost (Generation II)
ATTENTION: OFFTHEPOST.NET NO LONGER EXISTS AS A URL. The old site had to be closed. Please reset your bookmarks!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RW
Distinguished Gentleman of the Post
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 343
Location: Seat 10, Row 8, Section 226B
|
 Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:42 pm Post subject: Is Nick Lidstrom the # 2 defenseman of all time? |
 |
|
Brian Costello of the Hockey News thinks he might be. Lidstrom was voted the # 1 European NHL player of all time. Is Lidstrom better than Doug Harvey, Ray Bourque, Red Kelly or Eddie Shore? That's a good point for debate and will never be settled because that is what opinion is all about. He certainly ranks among the other defensemen mentioned as one of the greatest defensemen of all time.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/11520-THNcom-Blog-Lidstrom-No-1-Euro-No-2-blueliner-of-all-time.html
_________________
"The greatest victory a man can win is victory over himself."
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bell Centre Ghost
Haunting the Bell Centre since 2005
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 537
Location: Guelph
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
oof. Comparing between generations - a game for fools and guys at bars..... so... basically fools. And on that note, from what I've read, Harvey was so head over heels better than anyone until Orr came along that I would give him #2 status. In Lidstrom's defense, he plays in a league with better d-men to compete against.... who were also influenced by Harvey and Orr. Hence why this is for fools. Thank God I am one.
Don't get me wrong, I think Lidstrom is the best d-man to play the game in the last 20 years, with Borque an oh so close second. But I'd be hard-pressed to choose Lidstrom over Robinson - not so much in terms of talent, where I think it's a sawoff, but also for what each would bring to the locker room and physical play. W.r.t. the latter two points, I think Robinson would be a better pick.
And for what it's worth - Lidstrom over Hasek is problematic. No knock against Lidstrom, but Hasek was a pretty amazing goalie, and unlike Lidstrom, he played on some pretty bad teams. I'd also argue that Hasek was more influential to his position than Lidstrom.
_________________
The fans represent the soul of the organization. This is their team. Us, we simply try to make it better. They tell us when things are going good, and when they are less so. We don't always give them the impression that we are listening, but we are. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bosc Ulrich II
OTP Resident Historian
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 3204
Location: Sweetest lid in the league
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Bell Centre Ghost wrote: |
oof. Comparing between generations - a game for fools and guys at bars..... so... basically fools. And on that note, from what I've read, Harvey was so head over heels better than anyone until Orr came along that I would give him #2 status. In Lidstrom's defense, he plays in a league with better d-men to compete against.... who were also influenced by Harvey and Orr. Hence why this is for fools. Thank God I am one.
Don't get me wrong, I think Lidstrom is the best d-man to play the game in the last 20 years, with Borque an oh so close second. But I'd be hard-pressed to choose Lidstrom over Robinson - not so much in terms of talent, where I think it's a sawoff, but also for what each would bring to the locker room and physical play. W.r.t. the latter two points, I think Robinson would be a better pick.
And for what it's worth - Lidstrom over Hasek is problematic. No knock against Lidstrom, but Hasek was a pretty amazing goalie, and unlike Lidstrom, he played on some pretty bad teams. I'd also argue that Hasek was more influential to his position than Lidstrom. |
All good points, Sam. Also, the quality of the competition makes it harder to compare as well. Harvey was playing against far less players, so while the quality of the competition for him might have been higher simply because there were far less jobs to go around, the quality of player has vastly improved since his era.
I wouldn't say that Hasek has been more influential to his position. Nobody plays like Hasek. While he gets credit for dropping the stick to cover it with his blocker(did anyone do that prior? I don't recall). Lidstrom is the standard of the new breed of defenseman. Not very big(6'1, 190), but a fantastic puck mover, a very good skater, great agility, incredible stick, positioning and instincts. However, I don't think he has changed the position with his play. It's been more of a trend. So I would find it difficult to argue that either one was more influential to their position than the other.
Some interesting words that really sum up Lidstrom:
| THN interview wrote: |
"THis isn't a word of a lie: It is humbling to be his coach," Backcock says.
While Babcock says he has never had the occasion to sit Lidstrom down to point out, on video, little things that might improve his game, he does use some of his captain's actions to educate his teammates. "We call it Nickisms," Babcock says. "When we see him do something special we get it on tape and show it to the other players. He never drops his head when he shoots, he never forces anything and that's why he doesn't turn over the puck. He is simple, patient." |
Player-coach in a few years  If Lidstrom is able to communicate and teach what he knows, he could be a fantastic coach some day.
_________________
Bring back the old OTP!
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
saskhab
'03-'04 Goalie Profiles Coming Soon!
Joined: 17 Oct 2007
Posts: 3359
Location: Saskatoon!
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Scott and I were talking about Harvey the last time he was in Saskatoon. He's kind of a mystery in Habs lore, if you didn't see him, you really don't know a heck of a lot about him. That team from the '50s was so culturally tied to the Rocket that the others kind of get lost. Boom Boom had the slapshot, Plante the mask, whereas Harvey is just remembered as being really good.
If Av was old Av, he'd have a lengthy diatribe on the virtues of Bourque and how we're all crazy to consider someone else as the #2 of all-time.
Really, I think with Harvey, Bourque, and Lidstrom it's just a matter of preference. They were each the dominant d-man of their era.
_________________
"Oh my God. There she is. Lovely Sally Slater. I should speak to her. But what the hell can I say? Anything that doesn't mention that I masturbate over her memory is probably a good idea."
- Mark Corrigan, Peep Show |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bosc Ulrich II
OTP Resident Historian
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 3204
Location: Sweetest lid in the league
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
| saskhab wrote: |
Scott and I were talking about Harvey the last time he was in Saskatoon. He's kind of a mystery in Habs lore, if you didn't see him, you really don't know a heck of a lot about him. That team from the '50s was so culturally tied to the Rocket that the others kind of get lost. Boom Boom had the slapshot, Plante the mask, whereas Harvey is just remembered as being really good.
If Av was old Av, he'd have a lengthy diatribe on the virtues of Bourque and how we're all crazy to consider someone else as the #2 of all-time.
Really, I think with Harvey, Bourque, and Lidstrom it's just a matter of preference. They were each the dominant d-man of their era. |
Bourque was different too because the Bruins were Ray Bourque for 20 something years. Lidstrom is more comparable to Harvey in that the team was culturally tied to another player, while Lidstrom quietly went about playing his game for the last 17 years.
This is Lidstrom's 16th season. He's played 29 minutes a night for I don't know how long. He's missed 22 games in his entire career. And a few of those were simply for rest near the end of the season. He piles up more minutes in the playoffs. That's nuts.
_________________
Bring back the old OTP!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
